You are here

Editorial: Good People Don’t Ignore Child Abuse

Let us begin as Louis Freeh on Thursday began his statement about the investigation into Penn State’s child abuse scandal: by reminding everyone that it is the duty of every adult and the legal obligation of many to report child abuse without delay, without excuses. In Arkansas, the best way to do that is by contacting the Arkansas State Police Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 482-5964. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

The Freeh Report was commissioned by the Special Investigations Task Force established by the Penn State Board of Trustees on Nov. 21, after former coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested for crimes against children.

We certainly understand that many people will not read Freeh’s report. It is long, ghastly and nearly unbearable. But its conclusion is clear and concise enough to let the public know what went wrong.

“Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State. The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized. (Former university President Graham) Spanier, (Vice President Gary) Schultz, (coach Joe) Paterno and (Athletic Director Tim) Curley never demonstrated, through actions or words, any concern for the safety and well-being of Sandusky’s victims until after Sandusky’s arrest.”

It was the “Tone from the Top” and the “culture” at Penn State that allowed a child molester complete freedom to groom and abuse young boys, the report concludes. The culture was characterized by “inaction and concealment on the part of (the university’s) most senior leaders, and followed by those at the bottom of the University’s pyramid of power.” That’s what stopped janitors who stumbled upon what Freeh called “the horrific sexual assault of a young boy” in a university shower in 2000. “The janitors were afraid of being fired for reporting a powerful football coach,” Freeh said Thursday.

The decisions of a handful of powerful men who cared more about treating Sandusky humanely than about the humanity of the children he abused created a culture that said, in essence, the only thing more important than winning is power.

That’s a far cry from the “Success with Honor” slogan Paterno preached to his players.

But there are in Fort Smith people, hundreds of people, willing to do what the president, athletic director and football coaches of big-time, Big 10 Penn State wouldn’t do, and that is to step up and speak out about child abuse.

Born out of the disgust and frustration of watching the Penn State child abuse scandal unfold, Step Up, Speak Out allows area residents to partner with agencies that work to protect children. But more than that, Step Up, Speak Out is about building a culture in which we do not stand idly by while an epidemic of child abuse flourishes around us.

It tells us that each adult is responsible for the well-being of every child. It reminds us that all evil needs to thrive is for good people to do nothing. Indeed, it insists that people who do nothing in the face of the unspeakable evil of child abuse are not good people.

But Step Up, Speak Out is more about empowering people to help children than it is about criticizing those who don’t. It demonstrates that discussing the subject of child abuse, specifically child sexual abuse, is painful but not taboo. And it provides an umbrella for all those who want to make a difference. We know the actions of one person can make a difference in the life of a child. The actions of hundreds of people can make an even bigger impact in our community.

We congratulate the leadership team of Step Up, Speak Out for receiving the Noble Cause Award, sponsored by Gallagher Merry. We look forward to details about a community event being planned for this fall and possible development of a statewide effort.

Even before Step Up, Speak Out, in western Arkansas, we were blessed with staunch protectors of children: smart and caring law enforcement officers, judges who put children first, social services providers who worked far beyond what the state had a right to expect of them and nonprofits that filled in the gaps children might otherwise slip through. The multidisciplinary team has looked after children in Sebastian and Crawford counties, and now we have the services of Hamilton House to ease the disclosure process for children.

May it never be said of us here in the western reaches of Arkansas that we sheltered child abusers and cared more about our reputations than about the safety of our children. May it never be said that we let a culture of silence and fear stop us from helping a child in need.